Out in the ocean there is a vortex of plastic as big as the state of Texas where 20% of the plastic comes from ships and 80% of the plastic from land. Imagine finding a light switch plate 1,000 miles out to sea. What can we do about it? Stop using it, plastic that is. There is an effort to ban the use of plastic bags in Utah and the petition was going around the Farmers Market last Saturday where several vendors were filling plastic bags. If you get a chance, and you walk by someone with this petition, sign it.
The city of Los Angeles announced recently that they have outlawed the use of plastic bags by 2010. They join San Francisco, Australia, China, Israel and retailers like Whole Foods. This is a wonderful step in the right direction and I hope to see Utah following this trend.
At 12 minutes and 49 seconds, the video is a little long, but a worthwhile watch if you want to see just how much trash is in the ocean.
Source: Inhabitat
